Journal of occupational and environmental medicine最新文献

Objective: To describe volunteer firefighters' perspectives on how firefighter- and fire department-level factors influence their physical activity and fitness.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 28) were interviewed, stratified by their years of firefighting, using an interview guide. Thematic analysis and systematic coding were used to analyze the interview transcripts.

Results: Five themes were identified: (1) health and firefighting performance, (2) firefighter time and availability, (3) responsibility of the fire department to support volunteer members' physical fitness, (4) fire training drills as a form of functional physical activity, and (5) fitness initiatives at the department. Interviewing by years of experience showed varied perspectives that converged toward similar conclusions.

Conclusions: Incorporating fitness discussions into department meetings and trainings and identifying fitness advocates within the department may contribute to overcoming barriers to physical fitness among volunteer firefighters.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term, symptomatic recovery of healthcare workers from acute COVID-19 infections up to 3 years after the initial COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among employees of a community-based healthcare system in Massachusetts who had a recorded positive COVID-19 test. Survey responses were collected between September 2022 and January 2023. The survey included validated questionnaires: WHOQOL-BREF, EQ-5D-5 L, DASS-21, FCV-19S, K6+, and the Insomnia Severity Index. We compared the long-COVID (ie, symptoms lasting >28 days) and non-long-COVID groups.

Results: Among the 280 respondents (15.2% response rate), those with long COVID (73.4%) reported significantly worse quality of life and greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress metrics. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups' fear of COVID-19.

Conclusions: Targeted support for healthcare workers with prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 is warranted.

Objective: The aim of the study is to understand farmworkers' knowledge of heat-related illness prevention and behavioral and cultural factors related to heat-related illness (HRI) prevention.

Methods: The theory of planned behavior and an ethnographic study design were used. Data collection consisted of observations and interviews. Recorded interviews were conducted with participants and transcribed verbatim. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Overall, 14 interviews were conducted, and four themes emerged: acquisition and interpretation, perception, interoception, and action. Other findings included an insufficiency of formal training and the absence of knowledge of a protocol for acclimatization.

Conclusions: Better education and training are needed in this occupation, especially regarding acclimatization. Occupational health professionals must lead efforts to develop HRI plans and measures to ensure acclimatization protocols are adopted in the workforce.

Objectives: The aims of the study are to identify and to critically analyze studies using artificial intelligence (AI) in occupational health.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science was conducted to identify relevant articles published in English between January 2014-January 2024. Quality was assessed with the validated APPRAISE-AI tool.

Results: The 27 included articles were categorized as follows: health risk assessment ( n = 17), return to work and disability duration ( n = 5), injury severity ( n = 3), and injury management ( n = 2). Forty-seven AI algorithms were utilized, with artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and random forest being most common. Model accuracy ranged from 0.60-0.99 and area under the curve (AUC) from 0.7-1.0. Most studies ( n = 15) were of moderate quality.

Conclusions: While AI has potential clinical utility in occupational health, explainable models that are rigorously validated in real-world settings are warranted.

Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the extent to which various unmet social needs (USN) are associated with self-reported injury and illness-related absenteeism (SRIRA).

Methods: The analysis consisted of a retrospective study design of secondary data. Linear regression was used to measure the 2022 association between six measures of USN (both individual and a summary measure) and SRIRA.

Results: A greater number of USN is associated with higher SRIRA (b = 0.71, P < 0.001). Self-reported challenges in caregiving, food, healthcare, housing, transportation, and utilities are also individually significantly associated with higher SRIRA.

Conclusions: Employers may consider providing comprehensive resource support as part of their strategy to aid in reducing USN and their association with SRIRA.

Abstract: Commercial fishing is a dangerous profession with known hazards for musculoskeletal injuries, yet minimal examination of microbiological or attendant psychosocial hazards from water- and food-borne pathogens like Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus exists. Improving knowledge of Vibrio -related hazards addresses Total Worker Health® concerns for commercial fisheries workers.

Methods: Following a grounded theory approach, we conducted semistructured interviews with watermen and related workers who fish and harvest shellfish in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, to investigate risk perceptions and understanding, and compliance with regulations intended to reduce worker and consumer illnesses and injuries from pathogen exposures.

Results: Worker and consumer illnesses and injuries, and threat of fishery closures-with regulatory and organizational factors-influence this workforce.

Conclusions: Our findings support interventions that promote monitoring, surveillance, and awareness of Vibrio- related risk among watermen, regulatory officials, medical professionals, and the public.

Objective: To assess the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and physical fitness in firefighters.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 309) were systematically recruited to participate in this study. A questionnaire and physical measures were used to collect data on firefighters' cardiometabolic health and physical fitness levels. Data were analyzed using binary and multinomial logistic regressions.

Results: The prevalence of MetS was 23.0%, which was most prevalent in station and platoon commanders. Multivariable analysis showed that age (P < 0.001), lean body mass (P < 0.001), absolute aerobic capacity (P < 0.001), and leg strength (P < 0.001) was significantly associated with MetS. In addition, relative aerobic capacity (P < 0.001), push-ups (P = 0.016), and sit-ups (P < 0.001) were inversely associated with MetS.

Conclusions: Firefighters with MetS had a higher absolute aerobic capacity and strength, and healthier fighters had a higher relative aerobic capacity, muscular endurance capacity, and flexibility.

Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate both the independent and combined effects of secondhand smoking (SHS) and alcohol intake on the occurrence of stroke.

Methods: Utilizing the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study prospective cohort data, our primary exposure variables were SHS exposure and alcohol intake. The occurrence of stroke served as the main outcome of interest. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox regression analysis. To assess the synergistic influence of SHS and alcohol intake on stroke incidence, a joint test was conducted.

Results: SHS exposure correlated with an HR of 1.53 (95% CI = 1.19 to 1.98) for stroke risk. The combined exposure to SHS and alcohol yielded an elevated stroke risk, with an HR of 1.75 (95% CI = 1.20 to 2.55).

Conclusions: Our research highlights the combined influence of SHS exposure and alcohol intake on stroke susceptibility.